


The Seven Day Mousetrap

by Masquerade (masquerade37)



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon/OC - Freeform, F/M, Rough Draft, courting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21801577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masquerade37/pseuds/Masquerade
Summary: The resident wizard of Arcadia gets a letter from a troll prince, asking for courting rights. Curiosity gets the best of her, so the game to win the heart of a monster starts. Small drabble from tumblr that may turn into something more.
Relationships: Bular/OC
Kudos: 26





	The Seven Day Mousetrap

There were no stars over Arcadia at night most nights, drowned by the light of the waxing moon in the sky and the vast city lights below. To see the stars, one had to walk into the depths of the feral woods outside of town and look through the canopy of branches and leaves. Only when surrounded by darkness on the ground could anyone see the tiny, blinking lights in the sky.

Nadia found herself staring up at the stars from one of the deepest parts of the woods, holding her white wooden staff close and noticing the winds above couldn’t even reach her. The trees beside her were planted as a windbreaker hundreds of years ago, so she watched the branches above sway in the gentle wind while her long white hair and the skirt of her deep blue dress were still and undisturbed. In the dark, she almost seemed to glow, like a star that had fallen to Earth. She stood in the small glen of woods, and waited, as she was told.

Normally, she could smell a troll coming. The trolls who lived under Arcadia typically used the sewers to travel. But not this time. To her right, a large shadow lumbered foreword, yellow and red eyes locking directly on her. A very low rumble echoed from his throat, so low the wizard wasn’t sure if she heard one. Footsteps smashing to the ground hard enough to make the trees shudder. But there was no familiar scent of a troll. Nadia watched as Bular emerged into the moonlight, standing tall and squaring his shoulders, snorting a hot breath through his nose.

Anyone, even the Trollhunter, would have turned and fled. Nadia, instead, smiled.

“You bathed?” she asked with a light tone in her voice.

Hearing this, Bular snorted again, lowering himself down to his knuckles.

“Why would you even think that?” he growled, wondering if this was a slight against him.

“I didn’t smell you on the wind.” Nadia explained, her staff being held idly in her hands. A sign she didn’t intend to use it. “You normally don’t care if you stink, so I have to wonder. Did you bathe before you came here?”

“I’m not answering that.”

“In the lake? That’s quite alright, I don’t think you’d fit in a bathtub.”

She was talking too much and this started to annoy the dark prince. Keeping his gaze locked on hers, he lumbered to the side to start circling her. Sizing up his new prey. Nadia didn’t move, and watched him in turn.

“I did get your letter.” Nadia changed the subject, watching Bular stalk a half circle around her. “Did you mean it?”

“Every word.”

“I was very surprised to see it.” The wizard gave a small chuckle. “But I do have to ask, why would you chose to send that letter to me? Surely, there are much better–”

She was talking too much. Bular demonstrated this by giving a louder growl in the back of his throat, hot breath hissing between his teeth, claws closing into fists and starting to knock on the ground with each step. Nadia noticed, even a blind man would, but she still smiled and stood her ground. There was no concern to be had.

“…I see you just want to cut to the chase.”

“You know how this works. Yes, I will chase you.”

Nadia laughed a merry laugh. Adoring, disbelieving, and confident. Her staff rose to a vertical position in her hands. Now, she was willing to use it.

“Very well. Bular, son of Gunmar,” At first, she continued to speak merrily, but soon her eyes opened to a serious expression and her shoulders squared straighter, “catch me.”

With the flash of a grin, Bular launched himself foreword at a charge. He was within range for a strike in five seconds. Nadia only moved slightly, not turning to run, or dodge, or even try to fight. The bottom of her staff knocked to the forest floor, and from it burst a bright blue light that quickly webbed across the ground. A circle, within it very intricate patterns and symbols, most unrecognizable to the non-magical. The troll paid no mind and leapt at the wizard with both claws raised to strike.

But he bounced off the air and landed on his back a foot away. Quickly he raised his head to see what could have gotten in his way, but there was nothing. Just a smiling wizard within a circle of blue light. He rolled back up and tried again, only to fight that he was hitting something solid but nothing was there. Nadia hadn’t flinched. Bular growled as he finally looked to the circle below her, which shone like she did. He did not know what these symbols meant, but this was clearly magic. She was… protecting herself in some shield?

“You’re using magic?!” He demanded, feeling insulted. “I’m supposed to catch you!”

“Catch me then.” Nadia responded, smile unwavering.

“You are to run away!”

“Catch me.” Again, with no change of voice.

Bular’s anger started to bubble forth. Again, he pounded on her magic shield and glared at the woman.

“You dare hide behind your magic?! Now of all times?! You know why I’m here, and what my intentions are! THIS IS HOW YOU DARE–”

“Shhhhhh…” Behind a single finger lifted off her staff, before she placed it back, then let her happy smile change to a mischievous one, and her eyes narrow in daring.

“Catch. Me.” She insisted.

He understood, and this made him angrier. Again, he circled around her, punching at the air to try and find where there was no magic cast around this circle. Seeing him act, Nadia again smiled cheerfully and lifted her staff slightly from the ground, creating more symbols within the pattern.

“Yes, of course I know why your here and what your intentions are.” She finally answered, not looking up at the troll as he fruitlessly attempted to bash his way past her protection marks. “So, I ask again, why me? Why not some other fetching troll? With giant, rippling muscles, or flowing locks of moss, or sharpened teeth from grinding human bones. Why a fleshbag with a magic stick like myself?”

“Because you are what I want!” Bular was not in the mood for conversation, and continued to swipe and punch at the protection magic. He was growing angrier and angrier with each failed attempt. This was not how it was supposed to go.

“I need you to tell me why I am something you want.” Nadia continued to be unconcerned, safe where she was, the runes she was carving only made her magic stronger and harder to fight. “I may be worthy of your affections, but are you worthy of mine, Vicious one?”

This made him pause. Of course, she needed to feel the same way. He looked back down to the strange symbols on the ground, then to his claws and fists. This was just going to go on until sun up if he kept on testing the barrier. Instead, he stood tall and loomed over the wizard, glaring down at her, and answered with a rumble in his throat.

“To me, you are a star fallen from the sky. You shine like the moon but smile like the sun. The very earth listens to your songs and the rocks tremble in your presence. You are power. Raw, untapped power.”

Nadia raised her gaze to listen to him. This wasn’t like Bular to be so articulate. Was someone coaching him? She watched as Bular stood in front of her, and finally unsheathed a sword from his back as he continued.

“And it sickens me that this power is yours.” He started to strike at the barrier again, making Nadia sigh and continue to strengthen it. But Bular didn’t stop talking. “I want that power in my grasp. I want to hold in my hands, to take in its scent, to taste it coursing through your blood. I want you.”

“You want my magic.” Nadia scoffed. “And that is all. I was a fool to think you wanted anything more from me. I use this power to protect the people I care about. What makes you think you deserve any of it, you heartless old brute?!”

Bular roared at this, unsheathing his other sword and striking the barrier as hard as he could. He could just see the air shake around her, he was gradually breaking it down.

“I want you by my side,” he said through clenched teeth, “so when I see my father again, I will have everything I need.” He leans in and grins. “To kill him.”

Horror. Instant and chilling. Nadia stared up at him in complete shock, not sure if she heard him correctly. It was all it took to break her concentration, let her magic fail, and the large troll to fall on top of her triumphantly.

Nadia screamed, seeing two sword blades on either side of her head. Bular threw them both aside and grabbed at her shoulders. And he just held her, taking in heavy breaths from his labors. He stared at her, and she looked up to him in panicked fear. Any other human would have been quickly devoured. Instead, he pressed his nose to her stomach, taking in her scent. Moving his mane back and forth across her chest. Scenting her.

Nadia took in a few relieving breaths herself, carefully leaning up and touching the upper tip of one of his horns.

“Clever.” she said softly, realizing what had happened. “Clever, clever prince. Saying what you needed to say to get me.”

“I spoke the truth.” Bular insisted. “Help me unthrone my father. In secret. No one must know.”

“Who would I tell?” Nadia chuckled. “Well then, you caught me, finally. What happens now?”

“That is for another night. Come back here, and we can continue.”

“Tomorrow night, then.” Nadia sighed.

Bular let her go, looked down at her again with no look of triumph in his eyes, and wandered into the dark of the woods. Nadia sat up and gathered her staff to her.

Troll courting rituals certainly changed from back in her day. She’d have to see what he had in store for her tomorrow. The thought made her smile. Maybe this would work out. Maybe.  
\-------  
 _Lady._  
You wield magic as your might and sharpen your intellect on vast amounts of tomes. You are a worthy opponent for any, but before you would seek to unthrone my father, I would beg your indulgence for a few nights of your time. So I can showcase my prowess to you, so I may cross my blades with your wit and show you how I could be your best guardian and lover under the moonlight.   
Yours eternal, Bular son of Gunmar. 

**Author's Note:**

> This came from a little bit of messing around on tumblr to thinking about a crackship that had been on my mind for a while. It's kinda cute seeing my Wizards OC getting frustrated and confused but intrigued by Bular. This is a one shot for now, but I might just continue this given proper inspiration.


End file.
